University of Pittsburgh, World Vision Build Emergency Kits for Ebola Health Workers

The University of Pittsburgh football team and World Vision partnered to build Ebola Caregiver Kits for health workers in Sierra Leone. PHOTO: Courtesy, University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh football team and World Vision partnered to build Ebola Caregiver Kits for health workers in Sierra Leone. PHOTO: Courtesy, University of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA (February 25, 2015) — More than 50 student athletes from the University of Pittsburgh football team partnered with humanitarian organization World Vision Wednesday to build 250 Ebola Caregiver Kits for frontline healthcare workers in Sierra Leone. One of the students, Patrick Amara, was born in Sierra Leone and said he was pleased to participate in the effort to help his country.

The Ebola Caregiver Kits provide basic supplies like latex gloves, face masks, soap, acetaminophen, and oral rehydration salts. Volunteer also write a handwritten note of encouragement to the health care worker and include a brochure with information about disease control. The kits will be used to help caregivers prevent the spread of infection.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the “largest, most severe and most complex” ever, according to the World Health Organization. Sierra Leone is the worst-affected country, with nearly half of the 21,000 cases of Ebola. More than 3,000 people have died from the virus there. World Vision is on the front lines of the outbreak, working to prevent the spread of the disease in Sierra Leone and other countries in West Africa. The massive global effort to curb the outbreak appears to be working, but the international community and local health workers still need help to eradicate Ebola and begin to recover from the crippling social and economic effects of the disease.

“Our staff work in some of the most difficult places in the world, including in the midst of the Ebola outbreak,” said Jeff Fields, site manager at World Vision’s distribution center in Sewickley, PA. “But our network of volunteers, like these students from the University of Pittsburgh, are essentially our ‘frontline staff’ here in the United States. We’re grateful to have such incredible partnerships with organizations like the University of Pittsburgh and look forward to more opportunities to work with local community groups to help support our global efforts to end poverty.”

Nearly 650,000 World Vision Kits have been assembled by churches, companies, schools, philanthropic groups and individuals since 2006. For more information about how your organization can support World Vision’s work fighting the Ebola outbreak through a Caregiver Kit build, please visit kits.WorldVision.org or contact Marilyn Mulvihill.

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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.

Highlights

  • The University of Pittsburgh football team partnered with World Vision Wednesday to build 250 Ebola Caregiver Kits.
  • A student from Sierra Leone was one of more than 50 student athletes participating.
  • The kits will provide frontline healthcare workers in Sierra Leone the resources they need to stay safe from the disease and help end its spread.